Sand In My Shoes
by Neko Kate-chan
Summary: [SR with LC] When Riku goes on holiday, he doesn't expect to meet someone like Sora... But can a he really love someone that in two weeks he'll never see again?
1. Prologue

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::Sand In My Shoes::

::Chapter One::

Author's Note:

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Inspiration comes from the funniest places. I was listening to Dido's 'Sand In My Shoes' (from her 'Life for Rent' album) and suddenly I saw Riku sitting in an apartment curled up against some unknown (at the time at least) lover, in the urban sprawl that couldn't be the Destiny Islands, looking completely miserable.

Then BAM, next thing I knew, there were images of holidays and romance between Riku and Sora! YAY!

At first I was a little sceptical, I thought I was going a little bit crazy because this plot seemed so original and new and needed little guidance to work it to perfection. However, I began to think about the physics of the fic.

A two week holiday equals fourteen days, then I can add a few days either side from Riku's point of view and everything began to fall into place.

This is a first person fic, and the first time I've ever tried to write anything from Riku's POV in first person. Be Kind…

I hope you enjoy SIMS (Sims! YAY!) as much as you've enjoyed my other fictions, hee hee hee…

I've re-used the OC parents from STF for convenience, and seeing as they don't play a major part really…

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This fic is dedicated to Kieshar, this was my 'relaxation' fic. It was addictive to write. Good luck with your comics, you **lovely**, **lovely** woman.

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Disclaimer:

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Uh, right. I don't own anything. Buh-bye!

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Warning: Shonen-ai and lemon in this fic. You don't like it then don't read it, okay?

'I'm perfectly fine.'

'Stop fussing over me.'

'I'm not a porcelain doll.'

'Why is the light so bright?'

'I'm not at home… What happened?'

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::At Home::

Tuesday 31st July

I opened my eyes, the light was bright and my nostrils were filled with the smell of detergent. The kind they use in hospitals… I looked around, my mother, my cousin, but no sign of my lover…

Where was Errol, now when I appeared to need him most?

"Oh Riku, hon, you've finally woken up!" My mother, Amy Cordele, squealed, throwing her arms around me. I didn't understand why I was here… I felt perfectly fine.

"What happened?" I asked. My mother released me, shrugging.

"Apparently the doctors think it's stress related. They think you've been over-working yourself and that you should take a break. When I explained to them what you did they said that it was most likely some kind of stress-induced blackout…" His mother garbled. Riku frowned…

"Right…" He added as she continued to talk, she'd moved on now to slagging off his boss, she always did…

Riku was right underneath the current CEO of a massive organisation that practically monopolised the music industry. It had amazed his employees how he'd managed to get to the top so quickly. The answer had been to sleep his way through quite a few, blackmail some others and work damn hard in between.

Now he sat there, with his fat cat wage, and purred contentedly until the current CEO popped his clogs and let him 'snatch the cream' as it were.

"Anyhow, they suggested you get away from it all for a bit. You know, away from the stress. They said that you should just pack your bags and go. Of course, I'm all for it, hon, you look so tired…" She babbled on. Riku sighed, looking to his cousin for some intervention. Sephiroth just smirked, refusing to come to Riku's aid.

"Fine, mom, as long as you shut up!" Riku snapped. His mother shut her mouth instantly, her eyes tearing up and her bottom lip quivering. Riku squirmed with guilt.

"C'mon mom, not the lip thing," He pleaded as she tried to stop her lip trembling dramatically. He sighed.

"I'm sorry," He said, and the tears dried up instantly. Sighing once more, Riku idly twirled his hair around his finger.

Perhaps a holiday wouldn't be so bad? He and Errol could have some fun in the Caribbean for a few days…

"I'll book you a holiday you'll never forget!" His mother promised. He tried to stop her, but she was already gone. Sighing he glared at his cousin.

"I thought she was supposed to be trying to de-stress me, not cause me more… Thanks a lot by the way for all your help!"

"Don't mention it."

Wednesday 1st August

'What a dream…'

I turned over in my bed, swallowing as I saw Kairi there beside me. We had agreed last night, it was the last night we'd ever stay together, under the same roof. Kairi had managed to sponge an apartment off her work, and that was fine by me, I loved this apartment, it was my bedsit first!

I felt a little guilty. I was splitting up with Kairi because I wasn't interested in… her… anymore. Well, I wasn't interested in women anymore to be honest. I had realised that when I'd begun to dream of him.

He was nameless. He was faceless. He didn't have anything that set him out from the crowd. Somehow, I knew he wasn't just a figment of my imagination, he was real, somewhere…

This man's name, I knew that at least. His name was Riku, and he was utterly alone. I had never seen anything in his life. I had never seen him clearly. But I knew the emotions, I could feel those clear enough.

I heard his thoughts sometimes too. Occasionally I would fall asleep and wake up inside his mind, often he would be making love to his partner. I would always listen to his thoughts, trying to imagine what it would be like it that was me.

Sad? Yep, but I don't mind.

Here I have Kairi, though. She's a babe. I know that. She's the hottest catch on the island, and she's in love with me. All I want though is to push her away.

I don't love her. I thought I did, but I don't I was in love with the way she made me feel about myself. But I realised the first time I had sex with her; she wasn't what I was looking for. She was my first, she would supposed to be special. I had saved myself for her all these years but…

It was all for nothing…

I turned away, but then I heard Kairi sit up.

"You dreamt of him again, didn't you? I heard you muttering his name. Who is he Sora? Do you know him? Is Riku your pet name for someone I know?" She demanded. I sat up, refusing to face her. I hadn't led her to believe that Riku was a person from the island, but if she thought that, I encouraged it. How could I leave her for someone within my own mind?

"Riku is Riku. He's in pain. He got stressed out and went into hospital… He wanted his lover to be there, he wasn't…" I explained. She took a deep breath.

"Then perhaps you should go to him then?" She asked, haughtily. She threw the duvet off her legs and stood up, pulling on her clothes roughly.

"We promised we'd still be friends Kairi. Please don't leave me this way… You know I've always looked to you for everything… Friendship foremost. Please don't hurt me this way…" I begged. She turned her blue eyes to me, before sighing.

"You say not to hurt you but you've hurt me so bad Sora. You've hurt me more than I could ever hurt you… I'll forgive you Sora, but only because I still love you… Damn… I doubt there'll ever be an end to my feelings…" She trailed off. I bit my tongue.

It wasn't my fault that Kairi had fallen in love with me. Perhaps it was because I had led her on, though I don't remember doing. I just remember her walking into my apartment one day and proclaiming that she loved me and that we were meant to be together.

If any girl says that who is halfway hot, no guy is going to say no. It's a sure-fire way to get your leg over. I'll admit, my motives weren't all that pure…

"I'm sorry Kairi," I whispered. She nodded, before proceeding to pack her things. The sun rose over the island and it made the sea sparkle like a gem, and the various plants and animals awoke.

I watched the sea, listening for the door to slam. There it was…

Kairi was gone from my life, no longer able to tie me down…

'I wonder what's in the fridge?'

Saturday 4th August

I lazily flicked the TV over, trying to find something a little mentally stimulating. Instead all I found were reality TV shoes, documentaries on washed up pop stars sticking cocaine up their nostrils and kid's cartoons.

Sighing, I turned off 'Spongebob Squarepants', picking up my well-read volume of 'The Works of William Shakespeare' and removing the bookmark.

"Oh Romeo, Romeo, where for art thou?" A sarcastic voice called. I looked up smiling.

"Errol!" I put the book down, springing to my feet to meet him. Errol looked hot that night, with his black shirt and pants. I hurled myself at him, like a stupid eager puppy greeting it's master. I hadn't seen him since before I had been in hospital.

"Glad to know you missed me," He joked. His short black hair was messed up, there were shadows under his eyes… He originated from Spain, it was his Mediterranean features that attracted me to him in the first place.

"Of course I did!" I chuckled, pushing a kiss against his neck. I continued upwards, leaving a trail of kisses to his lips. He turned his face away.

"Not tonight Riku. I'm tired," Errol said, pushing me away. I blinked up at him, then watched him remove his shoes, help himself to my fridge and turn to TV onto one of those brain-numbing reality TV shows.

'Not tonight Riku, I'm tired…'

He'd been saying it a lot lately. Errol had never stayed the whole night, he'd never invited me round his place, and sometimes he wouldn't even hold me.

But I trusted him with everything. They keys to my apartment, a joint bank account, my heart… Perhaps I trusted him a little too much?

"You just going to stand there?" He growled. If anyone else had said that, I would have snapped at them. But it was Errol, so I complacently sat down beside him, curling into a ball and staring at the screen, unseeing.

It was then the phone rang. Errol didn't move to get it, so I stood up, answered the phone on it's fourth ring.

"This is Riku speaking," I said softly. I always had to be quiet when Errol was around. He didn't like me to be 'feisty'. He said he liked his lovers to be quiet and gentle. So I was. Anything to keep him happy.

"Hello, darling, it's me, mom," She said, kindly. I smiled.

"Hey mom," I replied brightly. I took the phone into the kitchen, so I wouldn't disturb Errol's TV watching.

"I booked the holiday Riku. You fly out on Monday. I booked you into a hotel in the Destiny Islands, they are beautiful, I saw it on a holiday show and it looks perfect for a stress fee holiday. You'll be there for two weeks. I'll be over with the tickets later!" She trilled. Riku smiled.

"Thanks mom. I'm really looking forward to spending sometime with Errol away from the city."

"…"

"Mom?"

"Er, Riku, honey, you weren't listening to me in the hospital were you? You're going to go on holiday alone. I couldn't possibly afford to pay for both you and Errol… You haven't told him about this have you?"

"No… I can't go without him mom…"

"I'm sorry honey. I thought you knew…"

"It's… okay… Drop the tickets by later…"

"I'm sorry…"

She hung up. I stared at the receiver. I wasn't sure how Errol would take this… He always got insanely jealous whenever I left, as though I would cheat on him as soon as I was out of his sight.

"Who was that?" Errol asked. I smiled at him, nervously.

"My mom… Er, Errol, could you turn that down? I need to talk to you…" I said quietly. He turned the TV off, turning to me.

"Yes?" He demanded. I looked into his chestnut eyes and felt my throat tighten. What was I so afraid of?

"You know I was in hospital, right?" I began. He chuckled.

"Of course I knew," He replied. That stung. He had known I was in hospital and yet he had never come to see me. A painful thought…

"Well, the doctors prescribed a holiday, as apparently the whole thing was caused by stress. I left my mom to book the holiday… She only booked for me to go…" I trailed away, holding my breath. Errol blinked at me.

"And?" He asked. My mouth fell open.

"You're not angry?" I inwardly felt both pleased, humiliated and slightly put out by the fact that Errol didn't think it was such a big deal.

"I'll find ways to pass the time. How long is it? A month?" He asked, turning the TV back on. I looked at my feet.

Over the next half an hour I didn't say anything. It wasn't required of me to. And that night I felt that feeling again. That I wasn't as alone as I thought I was.

That someone, somewhere, could love me like I loved them…

Monday 6th August

I sat in the airport, drumming my fingers against the table. I had nothing to do for the next hour or so except to listen to my headphones and think about life. When I thought I about it…

Was I truly happy with Errol? I loved him, sure, but did I like him? I wasn't so convinced anymore.

Is it possible to be in love with someone without liking them? I want someone to wave a magic wand and make Errol love me, but it seems that I'm destined to never be loved.

He's too good for me. He's beautiful… Me? I'm probably just the rich mug who funds his activities.

How many times had I bailed him out of jail? How many times had I been fed lies? How many times had he thought of me as a stupid idiot for not seeing it?

"All passengers to the Destiny Islands on flight XG 458-418 departing at 10:00 please make your way to Gate 14. The plane must take off early due to restrictions on air travel. I repeat…"

'Good job I got here early.'

I picked up my small backpack that contained my CD player, a book and some flight snacks (I don't trust airline catering ever since that time… No, you don't want to hear about that…) and trudged over to Gate 14.

I sat down on the plane, listening to the babble of the pilot about safety restrictions on the plane. However, I perked up when I heard him explain why we had to leave early.

"The Destiny Islands are only small, and the airport is on the nearest mainland to them. A ferry is needed to get to the islands and there are no guarantees that the service will be running constantly. Due to the weather forecast for the Destiny Islands, we have been advised to get you there early so you can catch your various ferries. Thank you for listening, we will be taking off in a few minutes," The pilot switched his microphone off.

I sat there, happy in the knowledge that I would be staying in some backwater place that was quiet and peaceful, where I could think.

How could I know how wrong I'd be?

Monday 6th August

'We're all going on a- summer holiday. We're all going where the- sky is blue. Fun and laughter on a- summer holiday. For me and yoo-oo-ooou, for a week or twooooo.'

I chuckled to myself from behind the counter of the café. The Destiny Islands ran most of it's economy off tourism, so a lot of places catered only for tourists. There were a few places that weren't too touristy, that was where the locals hung out.

The place where I worked, The Paopu Café, was on a small islet that could only be access when the tide was out. Of course, there were boats to get people across to the small collection of shops that offered more authentic souvenirs of the island.

In other words, this was the cultural section of the holiday resort where all the refined people came.

'Or, in short terms, it's where the old farts come.'

I sighed, then served an old woman, who ordered a coffee and a muffin and proceeded to badger me about various tourist attractions on the island.

"Are they any good?"

"Could you recommend the best time to see them?"

"How much does it cost?"

The questions went on and on, but I think it's against my nature to be annoyed. Although I'd have rather been left to do my job, (the queue was getting longer and longer behind her) she relieved some of the monotony of my work.

"Thank you so much. Here, buy yourself a strong cup of tea. You look like you need it," She handed me a ten dollar bill and didn't wait for any change.

I served the angry mob that had formed behind her, offering them free cookies for their troubles. I neglected to mention to them that those were the out of date cookies that I was supposed to be taking home later.

It seemed that no one noticed…

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Ending Notes:

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I must end there, as the next chapter is all about Monday 6th August and I can't write too much about it here. I hope you liked this first chapter. I'm quite pleased with it actually. It's got quite a good bit of length too, which I was unsure whether it would have at first.

When I look at my writing I can see a steady progression. From Things I'll Never Say, through TWL, Heartagram, STF and finally this fic. I think I've come a long way in the year and a half I've been writing on …

R&R


	2. Day One

**:Sand In My Shoes:**

**:Chapter Two:**

**Author's Note:**

_I didn't say how old the boys were, did I? Sora/Tidus/Kairi are 27, Riku/Cloud are 28, Leon/Errol are 29._

_Thank you for the reviews. They were lovely. I'm really glad you liked the last chapter, even though there was no Riku/Sora action, well not really… I'm also glad no one had any really bad reactions to Errol, who is really only there for character development. _

_Since I wrote that, probably 6 months ago now (yes I have been writing this fic for that long… I'm up to chapter 8 ) Errol took on a greater part in the story, binding into the events of the prologue etc… Sorry…_

**Disclaimer:**

_I don't own KH._

'Bored, bored, bored.'

'Any magazines?'

'Shops?'

'That fly's funny…'

**:Day One: Lost In Your Eyes:**

Monday 6th August

Stupid plane. I hate it. It managed to get delayed, now we have to wait for three hours for the next ferry. Three damn hours… How am I going to survive the boredom?

All around me are honeymooning couples. It's a little bit strange to be sat here, a gay man, surrounded by about six straight couples making out. I tried my best to make friendly conversation with one couple but they soon disappeared, I hope it was to get a room.

I rubbed my arm, trying to take away the chill.

I could have taken the last ferry, however, after looking at the sea, I had decided against it. My name may mean Sea, but unless the water is calm, I get dreadful seasickness. There was no way I was chancing a storm.

I glanced at the clock for the third time in five minutes. Twenty-five past twelve. Twenty-six past twelve. Twenty-seven past twelve. Twenty-eight past twelve.

No, I don't think 'bored' cut it. This was agony. There was nothing here except a large white waiting room with some hard seats in it. No shop, no complimentary magazines, just me, a few couples, and four white walls.

I pulled out my CD player, and for a while I was happily listening to my classical music. I closed my eyes, planning my holiday in my head, imagining what it would be like.

Not even my dreams of this holiday were as wonderful as the holiday itself…

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

I pouted. I usually loved the rain but today… Today something was wrong about it. I knew my boss, Mr Herald, was expecting me to goof off into the rain, like I usually did, but today… I don't know… It was weird.

I knew I had to stay inside. I was meant to be in here. I was waiting for something…

I didn't know what that something was. In the back of my mind I thought I was going crazy. In fact, I probably was. Leaving Kairi for an imaginary guy, thinking I could travel into his mind, thinking that there was some divine purpose to my meaningless existence.

'Stupid rain, stupid imaginary guy, stupid meaningless existence.'

"Hm… Okay, what's up?" Mr Herald asked. I looked at him and smiled. He was like a favourite uncle, I had worked for him since I dropped out of college, and we'd grown close.

I explained about Kairi, leaving out the imaginary love of my life, and told him all about the weird feeling I was getting. Mr Herald smiled when I'd finished and clapped me on the shoulder.

"You're a brave kid, Sora, to have even told Kairi. You know that she can be quite the bitch when she tries… And as to your weird feeling… Trust it, I think that you'll be surprised," He winked at me. I wasn't sure how to take that, so I just grinned at him. We heard the bell tinkle and he stood up.

"Customer," He said gruffly and went to serve the man, while I sat in the back, wondering what the hell was wrong with me… I heard Mr Herald start up a conversation with him.

"So, what's your name, kid?" He asked.

"Riku," My heart stopped.

A few hours earlier

I was finally on the ferry. It was an hour boat trip across the sea and when I got there, I saw the white sands, the palm trees and quaint little towns. I loved it immediately. I knew that this would be the perfect holiday.

I found my hotel easily, hauling my suitcase to my room and quickly unpacking. It was still raining outside, so I grabbed a pair of jeans and a woollen polo neck sweater, both in the colour I supposedly looked hot in, black.

I stepped out, eager to see some of the island and got half way into the town when I noticed a small island that looked more like my kind of place. Although the town had looked quaint at first, I noticed that close up, it had a lot of tacky tourist shops and was obviously trying to con money out of people as quickly as possible.

Noting that there was a small strip of land between the main island and the islet, and that there were boats to take me across if the tide came in, I quickly hurried across the sands, wincing as my feet sank into the wet sand with a sucking noise.

I turned into the first shop I saw to escape the rain. A café, The Paopu Café, to be more precise. It was cute inside, with intimate little tables and a fresh feel to it. It wasn't like the big city places, and I found myself wandering up to the counter.

The café was almost empty, except for an old couple in the corner who were garbling on in another language, I think it was German, but it could have been Dutch…

I was soon met by the person who I assumed was the owner. He was tall, gruff looking, but with happy eyes. He had a good deal of stubble on his chin, and a cigarette tucked behind his ear. It was not what I had been expecting.

"Um…" I lost my voice. He grinned, and he let out a rough bark of laughter.

"Not what you expected, eh?" He asked. I smiled, glad that he hadn't taken offence.

"No, I was expecting some sweet little old lady or something," I admitted. He chuckled.

"So, what's your name, kid?" He asked. I was a little annoyed at the term 'kid' but I still grinned as I replied.

"Riku."

I heard a strangled yelp from the room and frowned. The owner frowned too.

"I'm alright!" A voice called from, what I assumed was, the storeroom. The owner shook his head.

"What can I do you for?" The owner asked, obviously he was used to his employee's weirdness. I smiled.

"Oh, whatever. I'm in here to escape the rain mostly," I explained. The owner nodded, turning around to get a coffee.

"Yo Sora! Get some more plastic spoons will ya! We're running out in here!" He barked through. I wondered if I should sit down and he'd bring it over, or wait for him to give it to me. While I was thinking I felt eyes on me.

I looked up, thinking to be a little rude to the person staring at me but when my eyes met his… It's hard to describe, but I will try…

It seemed that all the colour was pulled from the room, just to make his eyes bluer. They were large, bright and widened in fear. He had frozen in the door to the storeroom and behind him, I would have seen the owner trying to push past.

Wouldhave, but I was too busy staring into his eyes.

"For Yevon's sake Sora, don't stand there like a rabbit caught in the headlights!" The owner snapped. The man, Sora, moved and I was finally free of his eyes.

I hadn't known that my heart could beat that fast. At first I thought I was having a heart attack. Then I recognised the signs. The breathlessness, the racing heart, the butterflies in my stomach…

I glanced back at Sora, this time a little more shyly. He was trying to avoid looking at me, I could tell. He was blushing terribly and nibbling on his lower lip.

He had messy chocolate hair, resting on top of a boyish face. God, he was cute. He wasn't muscular, but he wasn't scrawny or chubby either, except for his cheeks. He was dressed for comfort, rather like me, in a pair of red trousers, slightly baggier than I would have chosen, and an oversized T-shirt.

He caught me staring and I hurriedly looked away, all too aware of the fact I was blushing too.

What was wrong with me? I was never shy! I was arrogant and cocky and would never let anyone stare at me like he is… Why am I being… so weird?

I was only shy when…

… I was in love…

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

I caught him staring at me again, and he looked away, a blush forming on his cheeks. I wasn't sure what to do, I was a little afraid of him.

I had been inside his mind, or at least I think I had been. Was this the reason I had to stay inside? So I'd meet Riku? What now?

Mr Herald gave him his coffee, and he went and sat down, moving with a grace I could never hope to have. I watched the way his hips moved then shook my head violently, hoping that somehow this would scatter my thoughts.

Who was I kidding?

Mr Herald smiled at me in a knowing way.

"You think he's hot, huh?" He asked. I mouthed at him speechlessly. How could he say that so loud? Did Riku hear? I looked over to see him watching the sea. I swallowed.

"Not so loud," I managed to whisper. Mr Herald chuckled and clapped me on the back.

"Go speak to him. He's a nice kid," The older guy said. I took a deep breath, removing the apron I wore behind the counter and putting it on the counter. I tried to look confident as I walked over. I cleared my throat when I was beside him. He looked up.

And smiled…

Man, that was some smile. It lit up his whole face. In my opinion, he looked a little ill. He was pale, far too pale, and his silver hair was still drying from the rain so it was straggly and had dried in clumps. But those eyes…

"Hey, I'm Sora," I hadn't realised I'd even said that. He gestured to the seat across from him, and I sat down quickly.

"I'm Riku, I've just got here and was doing a little exploring," His voice was slightly quiet, but I detected that he was really quite a smart-ass at heart. I wondered why he was being so quiet around me?

"You're on vacation?" I found myself asking. He just smiled at me, and didn't reply. I wondered if I'd been too prying, but he wasn't giving off any signal that he was annoyed.

"Is it always like this?" He asked, gesturing to the weather. I shook my head. Now I was on home turf, I could easily churn out facts about the island, if that's what he wanted to know. It had been my home for the past twenty-seven years. There was nothing I didn't know about it.

"Nah, we have storms in the winter that last miles longer. This will be gone by tomorrow morning. In fact, I think we've hit the worst of it already. You should have been here last week, people were warned to get into their cellars because of the winds…" I knew I was rambling, I didn't care. I waited for him to say something.

"I'll count myself lucky then…" He smiled at me again. I tried to calm my heart. Couldn't he hear it?

Then his phone went off. He frowned and answered it, irritation in his tone.

"Yes?" He asked sharply. His eyes widened momentarily.

"Errol, I totally forgot! I swear… No I didn't- Please don't… Errol you can't…" He cancelled the call, standing up and running his fingers through his hair. I was confused.

If this was Riku, then who was Errol? Was he the partner? Why wasn't he here if Riku was?

"I have to go," He said, his voice tinged with something rather like regret.

"Um, okay. If you… If you run short of things to do, come find me. I pretty much know everything there is to know about this island," I boasted. He smirked, and I was immediately hit by that. He was humouring me, but man, he looked sexy when he did it.

"I'll remember," He said softly, then he put some money on the table and left, disappearing into the rain and sea spray.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

I leaned against a wall. What the hell was I doing?

Errol had phoned me, he had been right never to trust me. As soon as I was out of his sight, I was making eyes at someone else… But somehow, it didn't matter so much anymore…

He had phoned me up because I had taken the only card to our bank account. He was angry with me and he had threatened to close the account down. I wasn't sure what to say to him.

Was he only interested in my money?

Sora wouldn't be. He didn't even know I had money and he was obviously interested. Horny doggy interested in fact, but I wasn't sure…

Why wasn't I sure? Hell, I had felt more for him in five minutes than I had for any other lover of mine, including Errol, in five years.

I guess I was confused. I wanted to be in love with Errol. That was sensible, and he was back in New York with me. He was something that was always going to be there… Using me…

Sora was new, he was exciting, but would he be there in a few years time? Would he be there if I lost all my money?

I scolded myself. Sora knew nothing about me, and I knew nothing about him. How could I possibly be in love with him? Reasoning with myself didn't work.

I had to face the fact.

Errol couldn't make me happy anymore and a complete stranger with beautiful eyes, could.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

"I can see clearly now the rain has gone. I can see all obstacles in my way. Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind. It's gonna be a bright, bright, bri-ii-iight, sun shiny day…" I sang to myself as I prepared to lock up. Mr Herald was watching me from behind the counter.

"You know, I think you were supposed to meet Riku today," He said finally. I shrugged, but privately, I hoped it was true. It would mean that someone upstairs wanted us to be together.

"When you came out of the storeroom…" He smiled and shook his head. "I've never seen anything like it. I've seen people fall in love before, but that was something else. The whole room just had that kind of electricity in it. I'm surprised you didn't pull your clothes off and throw yourselves at each other on the spot." He laughed at my blush.

It was that obvious? Of course it was, I was never very good at hiding my feelings. I was a little bit of a cry-baby at times, and everyone was always telling me off for pouting when they yelled at me because then they couldn't stay mad.

I kinda hoped that it would work with Riku too…

"I bet that's the last time I see him…" I said quietly. Mr Herald looked up sharply, to see me staring out at the sea. It had grown calmer now, and the rain had turned into fine drizzle instead of thundering rain.

"Why did he leave?" The elder man asked. I sighed.

"His partner was on the phone, yelling at him. He kind of bolted then…" I felt my throat tighten. 'Don't you dare cry Sora you big wimp!'

"Partner? But he was giving you all the signals he was interested. I could see them, and I'm not bent that way!" Mr Herald protested. I grinned at his rough mannerism but inside I was angry, scared, hurt and sad.

I'd fallen in love and lost that person, all in one day…

"Maybe he was up for some kind of fling then chickened out?" I suggested gloomily. Mr Herald appeared to be thinking.

"No, I think that was love Sora. He'll be back. I have one of those feelings…"

I sighed. The last time Mr Herald had 'one of those feelings' I'd ended up waiting on a bench all afternoon in the freezing cold. (A long story that doesn't need to be told here. Lets just say, it all began with a pineapple and ended with a prostitute and leave it there… Try and make a connection, you won't manage it…)

Who could blame me for being sceptical?

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

I lay on my bed, thinking. I had to sleep, I knew that, but I couldn't stop replaying the scene in the café in my head. It frightened me how clearly I could see his features, his eyes, his lips.

What frightened me more was that I couldn't remember what Errol looked like. I had seen him nine hours ago, but already I couldn't remember him. He had been replaced so soon by a complete stranger.

Glancing at the clock I noticed it was four o'clock and that I really shouldn't be trying to sleep at all, but maybe thinking about eating.

I headed into the 'social lounge' apprehensively. I wasn't one for joining in with the kiddie games and I wasn't a huge fan of the cabaret entertainment that these kind of places put on. I found a bar and ordered a drink, a large one.

I had just been given my double vodka and cranberry when a girl sat next to me. She was dressed in a white top, cut off to show her midriff and a pair of tight denim shorts. She certainly wasn't dressed for the weather.

"Hey," She said seductively. I wasn't interested, so I just nodded to her, staring into my drink with the hopes that she'd leave. Never that lucky.

"I'm Kairi," She said. I decided not to be rude, but at the same time, I wished she'd leave me in peace.

"Riku," I replied. Her mouth dropped open. She looked angry at first, then she seemed to get her emotions under control. I was confused, why such a violent reaction to my name?

"So you're the one that Sora left me for?" She asked. I blinked. What the hell? Sora had left her for me? I'd only met him an hour ago? Confused was an understatement.

"I don't understand you…" I said quietly. She looked slightly hysterical.

"I mean that six days ago Sora left me for you! Is that so hard to understand?" She asked. She was crazy. It was the only explanation. I hadn't even known Sora existed six days ago…

"You must have me mistaken for someone else… I only met Sora today… I've just come here from New York…" I explained to her. She frowned and bit her lip.

"But it must be you… Sora used to dream of you… He used to talk about you like he knew you really well. If you only just came to the island then…" She trailed off. I felt a little bit sorry for her. She was obviously off her rocker, unless I truly wanted to believe that Sora had psychic powers and could fall in love with me before ever meeting me.

Naah.

"Well, that's nice for him," I replied sarcastically. Her eyes flashed.

"I wasn't joking and I'm not crazy! I know that's what you're thinking but I'm not! Sora did used to dream of you! The night I left him he said you were in hospital because of stress!" Her voice was terribly high-pitched. Somehow, this was hurting her…

I however had been thrown completely. Sora had known me. That's why he'd yelped in the storeroom when he'd heard my name. He had been with me…

When I was alone…

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

That night when I went to sleep, I didn't dream as such, more like I slipped inside Riku's conscious. For the first time I saw what he was seeing. It was amazing, like meeting him had meant that I could finally get closer to him psychically.

However my happiness was short lived. He was talking to Kairi… About me…

"Sora's psychic?" He asked. I kept silent, listening to his thoughts.

He knows me… He's after my goddamn money… I knew it…

Wondering what to do, I sighed. I felt Riku tense up.

Sora?

I froze in fear and almost withdrew from his mind altogether. My last thoughts were clear in his mind.

'Please trust me…'

I didn't even bother to say goodbye to Kairi, I just walked away. I needed to be alone. Sora had been around… It was scary that he could hear my thoughts. I hoped he would stop, now I had caught him.

That night I dreamed so many dreams, of Sora mainly. One I remembered, quite guiltily, was a dream in which I made love to Sora. It was stupid, it would never happen, but it had felt so real, his touch, everything…

But when I woke up, all that was left was the longing for him.

Once again I was a puppy, pathetically trying to find it's master. Only this time, I think the master wanted me…

I would trust Sora. I had to. I would forget this incident, I would forget he knew me. I wouldn't build up barriers between him and myself.

For once, I wasn't afraid to be in love.

**Ending Notes:**

_I couldn't think of anything else to write on this day. I hope I didn't go OTT with all the revelations. I just wanted to get all that out of the way. I wasn't too proud of my 'psychic' thing, but I think I did okay describing Riku and Sora falling in love right?_

_And Mr Herald may sound like Cid, but he is not, okies? Thank you…_


	3. Day Two

**:Sand In My Shoes:**

**:Chapter Three:**

**Author's Note:**

_Welcome to chapter three. Thank you for all your wonderful reviews. I love you all to bits. Sorry about the overly long wait. There are no excuses._

**Disclaimer:**

_I am not the owner of any of the characters. Thank you._

'You were dreaming of me.'

'It's okay.'

'Why are you so afraid?'

'I only want to be in love with you…'

**:Day Two: Tasting Your Name:**

Tuesday 7th August

I was a little afraid when I went into the café that morning. It took me a while to get through the door. When I finally did, I walked straight up to the counter.

The owner was there, smoking his cigarette and sipping his own coffee. I cleared my throat. He jumped and sloshed coffee over his shirt. I hid my smirk as he rushed towards the paper napkin dispenser and tugged to frantically try to save his scalding skin.

"Shit, kid, don't do that!" He scolded me. I just continued to try to keep a straight face. I was expecting Sora to appear any minute, to see what the fuss was about. But it was just me and the owner, facing each other.

"It's Sora's day off. He'll be back tomorrow," The owner said, out of the blue. My eyes widened.

"How did you know…?" I asked. He shook his head, rolling his eyes.

"It was obvious, lad. Sora had his head in the clouds the whole day yesterday, and I would bet he was thinking about you. I think you were thinking of him too, that's why you're here… Why else would you come back to this little café so far from the main hotel complexes?" He asked. I just felt foolish. Was I that easy to read?

"Uh, well… If you see Sora… Tell him I was looking for him… Thank you," I was about to leave when the owner stuck out his hand to me.

"The name's Jonathan Herald," He introduced himself. I was a little relieved. I had felt awkward talking to him so deeply without knowing even his name.

"Riku Cordele," I replied. He nodded, then he had an idea. It was almost like a light bulb appeared on top of his head. He headed to his counter, getting out a paper serviette.

"Here, this is Sora's phone number and address…" He scribbled something barely legible on the serviette and passed it to me. I squinted down at it.

'Sora Matsukazi. 54 Seaview Terrace. 0115-455-889.'

"It's round the back of the big shopping mall, away from all the hustle and bustle. It don't look much from the outside, but Sora's a proud housekeeper…" Herald said. I nodded and left, thanking him over my shoulder.

I wandered back to my hotel room. I had nothing to do today, I was afraid to go to the bar in case I ran into that nutball Kairi again. I found myself running my fingers over Sora's name on the piece of paper over and over. The indentations on the serviette were deep and it felt as though his name had been embossed on it.

"Sora Matsukazi…" I said aloud. It was one of those names that just rolled off your tongue. I loved that name. Already I was thinking about the future…

"Sora Cordele?" I snickered. Nah, I don't think so somehow… It doesn't flow so well…

"Riku Matsukazi…" I fell into a state of dreaminess, and had to literally slap myself to pull me out of it. This was crazy. I was acting like a stupid school kid with their first crush.

Sora was a real person, and it wasn't going to be smooth sailing. For a start, I was going to go home in less than two weeks time… That hit me like a brick wall. I had two weeks to be with Sora… Then that was it… I went home to Errol…

It was then that I decided not to tell Sora how long I was going to be there. I would just let him believe whatever he wanted about how long I was going to be here. I knew, I couldn't admit to him, or myself, how limited our time was.

I didn't want it to be looming in his mind that I would be leaving soon. I didn't want him to hold back. I didn't want him to give it a miss because I would be gone soon anyway. I was selfish as hell. I wanted him to fall in love with me. I wanted him to damn well hurt when I left, because I would be hurting too.

Selfish. Yeah, but I am.

I wondered what the hell I could do today. I decided to consult my guide to the island. I smirked as I selected that day's activity.

* * *

"Oh for heaven's sake, get a room!" I complained as Leon and Cloud started making out again. They looked about them.

"We've got one. Yours," Cloud replied, before returning to the love bite he was making on Leon's neck.

"I am going to get mental scarring from you two…" I mumbled. Leon chuckled.

"You know you like watching really Sora," He teased. I bit down on my tongue. Sure, both of them were damn hot. I knew I'd been staring at them, it's hard not to when two people are discreetly trying to have sex on the sofa next to you. (Note to self: sex can never be discreet when other people are in the room. Never try it…)

"Sorry, Leon, you don't do it for me," I retorted. He smirked and Cloud sat up, glaring at me.

"Can you stop distracting him please Sora!" The blonde protested. I chuckled.

"I can't help it if your boyfriend is more interested in me than you!" I replied. Cloud leapt from Leon's lap onto me and soon we were wrestling on the ground. It ended as it always did, with Cloud straddling my waist, holding my arms above my head and gloating.

"I win again," He proclaimed. Just then the phone rang. I couldn't move because Cloud didn't move, so I had to let Leon answer it.

"Hello?" He said. He listened for a second, then walked into the lounge with the phone. My little 'apartment' only had three rooms, a bedroom, a bathroom and a kitchen/living/dining room area.

"Who's Riku?" He asked. I blushed deeply, and with new-found strength, pushed Cloud off me. I answered the phone sheepishly and took a deep breath.

"Riku, I'm really sorry!" I began but I heard a light chuckle on the other end.

"Forget it. It's not important," He said. It finally registered in my mind that I had never given him my number. He must have gone to the café to find me. I found myself smiling as warm fuzzies attacked me. Riku liked me, Riku liked me, Riku liked me…

"Uh, okay… So, what are you doing today?" I inwardly cringed. 'Sora, you just sound nosy…'

"Oh, I was going to go shopping," He said. I swallowed. Shopping meant the mall. The mall meant five minutes from my house. That meant I could meet him, if I wanted…

"Um… What for? Souvenirs?" I knew I was snooping, but Riku didn't seem to mind. Cloud and Leon were looking at me strange and giving each other meaningful looks I tried my best to ignore.

"And other things. I was thinking of getting a CD, some clothes, a watch, general rubbish…" Riku replied. I bit down on my lip. It would be too much to ask him if he wanted any help. He would have to ask me. I couldn't ask that.

"So, what're you going to do today?" He asked. I glanced over at Leon and Cloud.

"Oh, I'm just messing around with some friends. They're over at my place," I replied. He seemed to think about this for a while.

"I'll see you tomorrow then at the café?" He asked. My lips drooped into a pout. He didn't want to meet up with me today then?

"Yeah, tomorrow…" The disappointment must have shown in my voice because the next think I heard was a light chuckle.

"I'll be there early, don't worry. Have fun with your friends Sora. See you tomorrow morning," He said softly. I found my throat tightening. Was this for real? He was arranging to meet me at work tomorrow just to… talk? Whoa… Mr Herald was right, he was interested in me…

"I'll try not to be late," I replied. He chuckled and hung up. I listened to the dial tone for a few moments before a grin spread across my features. I laughed, putting the phone down and jumping up and down squealing.

"Hm… Sora appears to be having a fit of some kind…" Leon deadpanned. Cloud rolled his eyes, smiling at my antics. I know that if Leon hadn't been there, he would have jumped up and down with me, getting into my excitement almost as much as I was. However, he always played it cool around his boyfriend.

"I think it's about time I told you about Riku…" I said, as though I were giving them a big treat. Cloud was obviously eager to listen, Leon less so, but when I sat down, they sat opposite me and got lost in my slightly fantastical tale, of Riku Cordele.

* * *

I smirked thinking about Sora. He had wanted me to invite him along, but hadn't wanted to ask. I would have liked his company but something told me that it could wait until tomorrow. I was an eager puppy, and I didn't want to scare him off.

Besides, he was with his friends…

I picked up his wallet and walked into the town. I found the mall easily, it was signposted and was easily one of the biggest buildings in the town. I wandered around for a while, through the clothes shops and various souvenir stores just browsing.

I finally came to a burger bar and froze.

What the hell was Sora doing there? He was there with three guys, two blondes and a brunet, laughing with his eyes dancing.

I was unsure whether to go in and buy my burger before leaving. It was then that I heard someone choke on their drink and a lot of extremely loud whispering.

I tried to ignore it, pretending I hadn't seen Sora yet. Let him approach me…

I ordered a diet Pepsi and fries. Even if I was on holiday, I couldn't bring myself to pork out. Girls aren't the only people who need to diet to stay in shape.

"Here's your drink and fries, sir, come again…" The assistant drawled. I picked up my order and turned round and THUMP.

"Ouch…" I hissed. I saw a mass of chocolate spikes and knew it was Sora. I flung my free hand out to catch him before he fell on his rump.

"Careful…" I said. He looked up at me, obviously horrified. His head was hard, and I knew that I was going to have one hell of a headache.

"S-Sorry…" He stammered. I just flashed him a grin, realising I was still holding his hand from when I'd stopped his fall. I let it drop discreetly, hoping it didn't seem like I didn't want to hold his hand, I did.

"Those your… friends?" I asked. I wasn't sure, but I could tell at least one of them was gay. Could it be that Sora was seeing someone else as well? He just grinned up at me.

"Yup. You wanna meet them?" It was a little daunting. It was a little like the 'meet the parents' scenario. But then again, I was curious. I found it a little hard to believe that Sora and I had only met yesterday… It felt like forever…

"Uh… Sure," I said, I felt a little uncertain. Sora led me over to the group, who stopped their conspiratorial whispering and looked up at me with guilty faces.

"Guys, this is Riku. Riku, meet Cloud, Squall-" At this the brunet at the table cleared his throat noisily, making Sora roll his eyes. "Sorry, that's Leon, and Tidus." I smiled at them and when Tidus budged up to let me sit down I hesitantly sat down.

Sora beamed at me from across the table. When I had come on holiday I certainly hadn't expected to be sitting in a greasy burger bar, with a group of strangers who were talking about, of all things, their sex lives.

"Hey, c'mon, you get more than is good for you!" Cloud protested when Leon mentioned not getting enough sex. I had to admit, I felt a little bit awkward. I was sure that I wasn't supposed to be listening to this.

"It's alright for you, you're getting some!" Tidus protested. I held back a smirk.

"What, isn't the blitzball life giving poor little Tidy enough groupies to bang?" Leon teased. Tidus narrowed in mock-anger. I hadn't had these types of conversations since I'd left school. It was… refreshing.

I had to admit, my city friends were all snooty. We never went out to just hang around. It was always a dinner party, a posh bar or restaurant. With some it was going out to, well, slightly illicit clubs and getting off our heads drunk but it was never so… simple…

"It's not my fault. Sora, the bastard, took the girl I'd been waiting for since I was knee-high and then dumped her. I heard it was for a guy too…" The table went silent after that comment. Sora blushed as red as a tomato. I raised my eyebrows and cleared my throat. Leon and Cloud were looking between Sora and me.

"You mean Kairi?" I asked. Tidus was glad to ease the tension and nodded.

"No offence but I think she's a bit of a nutcase. She, well… She started coming onto me, then went weird when she found out who I was. She tried to convince me that Sora was psychically having an affair with a guy… I think her break up with Sora sent her over the edge…" I said. Cloud began to laugh uncontrollably.

"Tell us something we didn't tell Sora everyday he was going out with her!" He chortled. I smiled. I liked Cloud. Not in that way, but from first impressions I just felt at ease with him.

"Yeah, well, Kairi was partially right, wasn't she?" Sora muttered. At this the table went silent again.

"About that, why the hell did you do it?" I asked. Sora's eyes flickered up to mine. I felt myself getting lost in them and tried to break eye contact.

"Trust me, more often than not it wasn't intentional," Sora reassured me. Well, at least he thought he was reassuring me. I honed in on 'more often than not' so that meant he'd decided that he was going to go see me quite a few times. A question popped into my head and had passed through my lips before I had the chance to stop it.

"Exactly when have you been inside my mind?" I demanded. I knew we were at a table with his friends, who were acting like I was the one who'd gone crazy but…

"Um… Too many times to count… Most of the time late at night when you were tired. Other times when you're guard was down…" Sora's blush confirmed to me when those 'other times' were. His friends obviously had put two and two together as well.

"Peep shows?"

"That's slightly pervy…"

"Don't, you're embarrassing him!"

"It wasn't out of choice, okay?" Sora protested. I just smirked. So he'd seen me in all my glory already huh? Perhaps Sora and me had known each other for longer than a day. Or more like, he had known me longer, it was only natural for us to be involved.

There was nothing wrong with it. If Sora had seen so much of me and still wanted more well…

I'll admit it, I'll give him all he wants… And more…

"Let's get off this subject," I said firmly. Sora looked at me gratefully, and I smirked at him. I certainly felt a little embarrassed now.

"So, where are you staying?" Cloud asked. I turned my attention to him, and I noted that Sora seemed quite glad about it.

"Oh, the Hotel Cabrera," I told him. Cloud raised his eyebrows.

"You rich?" He asked. I smirked. I had once made the mistake of playing down my money, pretending it was nothing. Then I realised that it made people more daunted. If you just admitted it, then it was less… there… It wasn't a barrier as such.

"I have enough money stored away to buy the hotel I'm in…" I paused, thinking about it… "When I last checked I was worth three billion, give or take a few million." I wasn't joking either. I know, it was a ridiculous amount, but I had been saving most of my money and to be honest, I was a damn skinflint.

"Whoa… That's like, enough money to buy this island…" Sora breathed. I chuckled.

"Not quite," I replied. His eyes were wide now, he was looking at me slightly fearfully.

"No offence but how old are you?" Leon asked. I smiled, to show I didn't mind being asked.

"Twenty-eight," I replied. Cloud choked on his drink.

"I'm twenty-eight. I thought I was well paid for my experience until a second ago," He joked. Sora was pouting into his food now.

"I didn't mean to upset you. If money makes you uncomfortable I won't talk about it," I said. Sora looked up at me and I knew. He'd never had that much money, or dreamed about owning that much. He was suddenly thrown together with someone who had cash flowing from his ears.

"It's-It's all right…" But I could tell it wasn't. Something was troubling him enough for him to withdraw from the conversation, he hadn't done it since he'd met me, and I doubted he did it often.

"Sora's parents committed suicide over money problems a few years ago. They were made redundant by some fat cats in Washington. They couldn't stand the shame and killed themselves. After that Sora dropped out of college and has been working at the café ever since," Leon explained. My eyes widened, surely that wasn't Leon's secret to divulge?

"Well, that's in the past," Sora said, although he seemed to be still hurting. I was sympathetic, even though I had never lost a parent, I could imagine what it must be like. Especially in those circumstances.

"So Riku, you Sora's new boyfriend?" That threw me completely. Such an abrupt subject change, compliments of Cloud, and I found myself turning beet red. How on Earth do I answer that question. Luckily, Sora answered it for me.

"We've only just met," He said quickly. We both knew precisely what was happening though. I knew he at least had a crush on me, he probably knew I loved him. It was inevitable that we would be together soon…

"Yeah, whatever. I heard your boss talking to Selphie about it. He's not the romantic type but, geez, I don't know how you two are managing to stay apart. From what I hear you were practically-"

"Enough."

Tidus shut up from Leon's sharp comment. I blinked. It had been abrupt and I had jumped a little. I looked at my watch. I really needed to find something for Errol… I had to at least have bought him a present…

Why?

I dunno, somehow I knew that I'd end up going home to him…

"I've got to go and buy presents…" I excused myself. I saw Sora's embarrassed smile turn into a pout. He knew who I was talking about.

"What you going to get him?" He asked. I looked at the ground. I felt so ashamed. Why wasn't my life simple?

"I don't know… He's picky…" In my head I added 'And if I don't get him the right thing I'll get a good thump for being so ignorant…'

"We could help," Cloud suggested. I smiled at him but shook my head.

"No… It has to be just right… Errol won't be happy if it's… not something he wants…" I left it at that and said goodbye, walking out of the mall. I was happy to have met Sora's friends, and through all the cringe-worthy moments, I felt I was closer to him for it.

I wandered through the shops but saw nothing suitable for Errol. I didn't see Sora or his friends either, I assumed they'd stayed in the burger bar. Sighing, I went for a walk along the sea front.

* * *

"Why are we doing this?" Leon asked. Cloud and I were laughing hysterically. It was fun, for god's sake. Then I remembered that Mr Goth-man wasn't allowed to laugh. It might give him laughter lines and that wouldn't do.

"Lighten up!" I chuckled and followed Riku round the mall. He went into a lot of boring shops, and finally gave up, going for a walk along the sea front. We followed on the other side of the road, everytime he looked around we ducked out of sight.

"He's not doing anything. He's just staring out to see…" Tidus whispered. We looked over the top of the car we were crouched behind.

Riku was staring out to sea. The ocean breeze was ruffling his silver hair, pulling it from it's loose ponytail to blow around his face. He absently brushed it out of his eyes before digging into his pocket and lighting up a cigarette.

I was a little bit upset about that. I thought Riku was too smart to smoke. I had to admit though, the image fitted. He looked damn hot too…

"Let's go," Leon said. We didn't argue with him, the novelty of following him had worn off for all but me. It didn't count if I wanted to watch him, because I was in love with him.

I briefly wondered how long it would be before we recognised this in each other…

* * *

I had started to smoke again. I hadn't had a cigarette for over a year but… the fries had done it I think… Whatever had set off the craving had sent me half-mad. I felt a little better after, and made sure I had eaten plenty of chewing gum to clear my breath.

I walked for a while, but found nothing of interest on the beach. The beach was a place for two people, not one. I wandered around, got lost quite a few times, but when it got dark and I grew hungry, I returned to the Hotel Cabrera and ate dinner alone.

I went up to my rooms and read a while. At nine o'clock I grew bored of reading and decided to take a shower. I couldn't get Sora out of my mind, I wanted to look my best for him tomorrow. I wasn't an over-the-top gay guy, certainly no face packs or pink flannel dressing gowns but… I had plenty of hair products…

I made sure I looked as good as I could. I tried my best to draw some of the sickliness from me. The bags under my eyes could be cured by a good night's sleep and my pale skin had been tanned slightly by my time in the sun today.

I looked better than I had done in months… All for Sora…

I went back to my book for a while, but I my mind wandered. The next thing I knew I was picking out an outfit for tomorrow. I had everything laid out on the chair on the inside of the French windows that led to the balcony.

I had chosen something stylish, but not enough for me to be at all daunting to Sora. I had chosen the colours that someone had said suited me most. A black long sleeved button up shirt with silver embroidery on the back, it was rough looking, as though it had been scratched against metal and the silver wolf on the back stood out. The pants I chose reflected the silver and black theme, being black with silver zips and buckles up them. Gothic? Not really, I preferred the term, fashionable.

I finally lay down at ten o'clock. A nice early night for me… I slept soundly and dreamed of Sora.

In my sleep I murmured the words 'Riku Matsukazi' and it rolled off my tongue as I dreamed of a life that I should be living…

* * *

I lay awake most of the night, replaying the day's events. It was a fairytale, not my real life. Was it possible that Riku might give up his life in the city to come to the island and be with me?

Man, how much would I love that? I had to keep reminding myself, I had known him two days, I barely knew him at all.

But if I already loved what I knew of him, did that mean the more I knew about him, the more I'd love him. If I loved him anymore than I already did then it wouldn't be healthy for me…

Well, I would think about that in the future. There was a phone message from Kairi when I got home. She wanted me to drop in on Saturday at the hotel she worked at to help her with the children.

We had done it together when we were a couple, and she thought we should continue to. 'It'll be good for our friendship…' Yeah, whatever.

Well, there was always the chance I might see Riku if I worked there that morning, seeing as Kairi worked as a Rep at the Cabrera.

"Mmmm… Riku…"

It was slightly scary how I was obsessing over him. Maybe once we were together this would stop.

I doubted it.

I definitely doubted it.

* * *

**Ending Notes:**

_Well? Good, yes? Are they too angsty? I'm not sure? I'm trying to give them quite distinct phrases and interests so you'll instantly know who's POV you're reading. I'm trying to stop them from leaping into each other's beds but it's hard, you know._

_Errol is the only thing keeping them apart at the moment, and Riku's relationship that isn't so much of a relationship but a casual sex for money type thing, with him. I hope that I don't make Riku sound too pathetic but…_

_Although Riku seems to have barriers, I see him as quite a vulnerable spirit, that's why I had it that when he is in love, he's docile and 'puppy-like'. At first he will be like that, but don't worry, he'll grow more confident around Sora Trust me on that one…_


End file.
